First 12,000 flu vaccines to arrive soon – Dr Anthony

As the government prepares to roll out a programme to safeguard the most vulnerable, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony has announced that the first batch of influenza vaccines is scheduled to arrive in the country soon.

These vaccines will be administered to healthcare workers and the elderly, who are at greater risk during the flu season.

“We have already started the process, and very soon we will have about 12,000 doses of these vaccines arriving in the country. We will then commence rolling out this programme,” Dr Anthony said on Monday.

He was speaking at a two-day workshop organised by the Ministry of Health, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), and the International Health Regulations National Focal Point Committee to develop Guyana’s 2024 State Party Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR).

Ministry of Health to begin offering flu vaccine to elderly, healthcare workers

Dr Anthony first mentioned this initiative to vaccinate against the flu last Wednesday during the consideration of the ministry’s budget.

For many years, these vaccines were unavailable in the public healthcare system, forcing individuals to seek them overseas.

According to Dr Anthony, investments made over the years have strengthened the country’s surveillance capacity.

In January this year, the Ministry of Health announced that the National Public Health Reference Laboratory had officially received accreditation from PAHO/WHO as a National Influenza Centre.

Now, Dr Anthony said the focus is on implementing an integrated surveillance system that utilises the existing telemedicine infrastructure at healthcare facilities.

“We want to use the existing telemedicine infrastructure, where we have internet connectivity, at these 84 sites to enhance our surveillance efforts,” he said.

In preparation for future pandemics, Dr Anthony stated that the ministry is working to develop a robust surveillance system that will monitor both human and animal health.

“We know, of course, that if we are to be ready for the next pandemic, there is a strong likelihood that a virus could jump from animals to the human population.

“That is why it is important to have this integrated surveillance system,” Dr Anthony said.